Wonder

 Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Gardens tradition - check

Groupon Holiday Party tradition - check

 Doing some kind of holiday baking for a cookie exchange or party tradition - check

 Celebrating Jonah's birthday with friends in the messiest way possible tradition - check

Having a fun donut cake instead of a traditional cake - new tradition - TBD

Turning therapists into friends tradition - check!  These are the faces that Jonah sees multiple times a week to work on PT, OT and Speech therapy.  It was so fun to see them all outside of the walls of therapy and hysterical that all of their birthday gifts to Jonah were like secret therapy in gift form.

If you haven't heard of Wonder by this point, you're probably living under a rock.  It is a wonderful book, written by R. J. Palacio, which has since been turned into a movie staring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.  The story itself is about a 5th grade boy, Auggie, who has a significant facial deformity, transitioning to public school.  The story is presented from the perspective of Auggie himself, a few of his classmates, his sister and a couple of others; and these perspectives create a picture that comes together of a community's struggle with empathy, compassion and acceptance.  At least that's the Amazon summary of the book.  Perhaps it is no surprise that the story is so much more than that for us - more of a blurry reflection of us.  There is nothing identical, but there is much similar - the story feels familiar even though it is not the same.

Jonah looks different than most kids.  This isn't a shocking revelation to anyone who has followed our story, but it is something that our newly minted 7 year old struggles with sometimes.  His struggle is rarely with his walker, AFOs or even his hearing aides - things that make him clearly different.  His struggle is usually about his face.  Every time he looks in the mirror or at a picture, he sees that his eyes are different sizes, his face isn't symmetrical - he sees the scar of reanimation surgery, the gold weight in his eye lid.  And he goes to the hard places:
                                   "Why don't I look like everyone else?"
                                   "Why did God choose me?"
                                    "It's not fair this happened to me."
                                    "It's hard being different and it makes me sad."
And in those moments, I am jealous of Julia Roberts (who plays Auggie's mom).  She has someone writing out her lines for her as she addresses her pretend child's heartbreak and struggle.  She knows just the right thing to say to smooth over his hurt and insecurity.  If only it were so simple - how do you explain our last 2 1/2 years to a 7 year old?  How do you talk about the brokenness of our world? About how God makes beauty from the ashes and uses hardships to point people towards redemption?  How do you answer questions in a way that a 7 year old can understand, when adults struggle with the same questions for years?  I wish the script writers had the answers for me, as I am simply doing my best because that's all I have to offer.

When art mirrors life, the impact is lasting.  We are busy writing our own story of a boy who wears his extra-ordinariness on the outside, filled with kindness, silliness and love.  Of a boy who's bravery and strength exist in such quantity that they show on the outside for all to see.  Of a boy who's story points people toward God, getting them to think about God and ask different questions than they've asked before.

Especially this Christmas season, if you have not thought of God differently lately - if you've been afraid to ask the hard questions -  then jump in.  Carve a little space in the chaos and the noise and find God.  That is what Christmas is all about, God with us - Immanuel.  You don't have to have a team of script writers to make you sound good, or a heartache tied up in a bow - Immanuel will meet you where you're at and take you as you are, and for that I am grateful because I don't have this all figured out yet either.


Merry Christmas!